GOP Rep.’s Healthcare Cutbacks Mailer Features Deceased Woman

A mailer on healthcare cutbacks sent out by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) office included a deceased woman.

The mailer, sent out about a week ago, shows McMorris Rodgers with the late Maxine Davidson, who passed away in January 2013. The inclusion of Davidson has angered her friends, Tim and Bette Brattebo.

“So here’s a flyer protecting us from senior cutbacks,” Tim Brattebo said according to khq.com. “It gives the appearance that [the Congresswoman] is talking to Maxine about this. Well I know she wasn’t.”

Brattebo’s wife has retained an attorney for Davidson. But the couple did say that Rodgers’ office has apologized for the mistake. Rodgers office did also send a statement about the photo to the Spokane Spokesman Review:

There was a breakdown in our standard approval process at the staff level for use of this particular photo. Going forward the office will work to make certain the approval process is enforced which means in order to use a photo appropriate permissions of those featured will be obtained.

The couple said that Rodgers did not ask any kind of family permission to use the image.

“It doesn’t give her a chance to say what she might have said,” Brattebo said. “My thoughts are that the representative could find someone who is known to be supportive of her policies and could verbalize that.”